A United Nations watchdog group for children's rights chastised the Vatican Feb. 5 for a series of substandard policies that
fall short in protecting children, specifically from sexual abuse.

The condemnation came from the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the
Child, which is made up of 18 independent experts that monitor the
implementation of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the
Child--ratified by the Vatican in 1990--related to child protection and
children's rights.

While it welcomed the Vatican's recent "open and
constructive dialogue" and the Vatican's willingness "to
change attitudes and practices" related to child protection, the
committee noted that the Vatican's response to the U.N. body came
"with a considerable delay" of 14 years. The U.N. committee
said that most of its recommendations following its initial 1995 review
had not yet fully been addressed.

Though the latest U.N. report discusses a range of issues, such as
the Vatican's use of discriminatory terms like "illegitimate
children," or its handling of children born of priests, the U.N.
child's rights committee held its -deepest concern" for the
sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, estimating that clergy have
"been involved in the sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children
worldwide."

"The Committee is gravely concerned that the Holy See has not
acknowledged the extent of the crimes committed, has not taken the
necessary measures to address cases of child sexual abuse and to protect
children, and has adopted policies and practices which have led to the
continuation of the abuse by and the impunity of the perpetrators,"
the report said.

Particular areas it highlighted included:

* The practice of offender mobility, where "well-known child
sexual abusers have been transferred from parish to parish or to other
countries in an attempt to cover-up such crimes," which has kept
such priests in contact with children, placing minors in many countries
"at high risk of sexual abuse";

* A continued practice of withholding data on child sexual abuse
cases;

* A practice of instituting disciplinary measures to abusers in
secrecy, which has "allowed the vast majority of abusers and almost
all those who concealed child sexual abuse to escape judicial
proceedings in States where abuses were committed";

* A code of silence for all members of clergy that has prevented a
majority of child sex abuse cases from being reported to law enforcement
where the abuse occurred;

* Reporting to law enforcement that "has never been made
compulsory" and that "in many cases, Church authorities,
including at the highest levels of the Holy See have shown reluctance
and in some instances, refused to cooperate with judicial authorities
and national commissions of inquiry";

* Limited efforts that have been made "to empower children
enrolled in Catholic schools and institutions to protect themselves from
sexual abuse."

In its recommendations, the committee urged the Vatican to
"immediately remove all known and suspected child sexual abusers
from assignment and refer the matter to the relevant law enforcement
authorities for investigation and prosecution purposes."

Other recommendations included:

* Ensuring the recently announced sexual abuse commission -- which
Pope Francis revealed Jan. 31 would be housed in the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith -- will investigate independently all cases of
child sexual abuse and the conduct of church leaders involved;

* Ensuring transparent sharing of all its archives;

* Amending canon law to make child sexual abuse a crime and remove
all provisions requiring secrecy related to allegations;

* Establishing "clear rules, mechanisms and procedures for the
mandatory reporting of all suspected cases of child sexual abuse and
exploitation to law enforcement authorities" and ensuring all
religious and church personnel are aware of their reporting obligations,
"that in cases of conflict ... prevail over Canon law
provisions";

* Developing programs and policies to prevent child sexual abuse
and to help victims in recovery.

The committee noted that when addressing allegations of child sex
abuse, the church "has consistently placed the preservation of the
reputation of the Church and the protection of the perpetrators above
children's best interests."

It urged the Vatican to implement policies at all levels of
authority to make the best interests of the child a primary
consideration.

In a press statement, the Vatican said it would study and examine
the report (which is nonbinding and unenforceable by the committee).

"The Holy See reiterates its commitment to defending and
protecting the rights of the child, in line with the principles promoted
by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and according to the moral
and religious values offered by Catholic doctrine," the statement
said.

In an interview with Vatican Radio Feb. 5, Archbishop Silvano
Tomasi. the Vatican's permanent observer to the U.N. who had
testified before the committee Jan. 16, said its findings "point
out a rather negative approach to what the Holy See has been doing and
has already achieved in the area of the protection of children."

Tomasi said the report appeared not up-to-date since the
discussions he and the Vatican delegation had with the committee in
mid-January. At that hearing, which marked the first time Vatican
officials defended its handling of abuse scandals before an independent
body, Tomasi reiterated the church's commitment to reform its
policies and practices on sexual abuse.

The Vatican also took issue with portions of the report that
addressed abortion and contraception, calling it "an attempt to
interfere with Catholic Church teaching on the dignity of the human
person and in the exercise of religious freedom."

Responding to the report's recommendation that the church
review its abortion position and amend canon law to allow the procedure
under specific circumstances, Tomasi told Vatican Radio, "This is a
contradiction with the principle of life that the convention itself
should support recommending that children be protected before and after
birth. If a child is eliminated or killed, we can no longer talk about
rights for this person."

The report also recommended the Vatican assess its teachings on
contraception and sexuality, and review its past statements on
homosexuality that the committee said contribute to social
stigmatization and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and
trans-gender children, and those raised by same-sex couples. In
addition, it urged the Vatican "to make full use of its moral
authority to condemn all forms of harassment, discrimination or violence
against children based on their sexual orientation or the sexual
orientation of their parents."

Outside of sexual abuse, the committee gave the Vatican poor marks
in its promotion of gender equality and child trafficking, specifically
noting the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. It also urged the church to
explicitly oppose and to amend canon law to eliminate all forms of
corporal punishment in child development.

The U.N. committee requested the Vatican submit its next report for
review by September 2017.

In a statement, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called the report "a wakeup call," not for church
officials but for those in law enforcement to investigate possible
clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups, and where applicable, prosecute
church supervisors. They echoed the call for Francis to immediately
remove all offenders from ministry and "harshly punish"
supervisors and peers who enabled the crimes.

"For the safety of children, we hope every head of state on
the planet reads this [report] and acts on it," said Barbara
Blaine. SNAP president.

--AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus

Kirsten Sandberg, center, chair of the U.N. Committee on the Rights
of the Child, talks to committee members Maria Herczog, right, and
Benyam Mezmur during a news conference at U.N. headquarters in Geneva Feb. 5.

'The Committee is gravely concerned that the Holy See has not
acknowledged the extent of the crimes committed.'

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